1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processing of managing maintenance requests of a plurality of image processing apparatuses and arranging for dispatch of a service person.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a remote monitoring system in which a management apparatus remotely monitors a state of an image processing apparatus including a printing function and automatically detects an unusual state of the image processing apparatus is known.
In this system, the management apparatus performs processing of arranging for dispatch of a service person so that the service person can immediately carry out repair on the image processing apparatus. Furthermore, a known technique includes a technique in which the management apparatus arranges for dispatch of a service person taking the location and schedule information of the service person into consideration in a case where the management apparatus detects unusual states of the plurality of image processing apparatuses (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-288368).
Here, a problem which is not detected by the management apparatus by monitoring the image processing apparatus and which is inconvenient for a user may arise.
Examples of the problem include deterioration of an image and damage to an exterior. To address an occurrence of such a problem, a technique of arranging a call button on the image processing apparatus in order to notify the management apparatus of a maintenance request has been proposed (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-92008).
In the monitoring system described above, in a case where a plurality of image processing apparatuses which are installed in the same location or which are connected to the same local area network are simultaneously detected as unusual states, when a single service person is dispatched for repairing the plurality of image processing apparatuses, reduced operating cost is attained.
Furthermore, as the number of image processing apparatuses to be monitored increases, it is highly possible that the burden on the management apparatus performing processing of sending or arranging for dispatch of a service person becomes high. It is preferable that this processing become simplified.
The technique described above in which the management apparatus arranges for dispatch of a service person taking the location and schedule information into consideration when a plurality of image processing apparatuses have been detected to be in unusual states has the following problem.
When information which associates image processing apparatuses located in the same location with one another is not obtained, different service persons may be sent in order to cope with the unusual states of the image processing apparatuses located in the same location which are simultaneously detected.
Furthermore, when arranging for dispatch of a service person, the management apparatus is required to refer to the latest location information and the latest schedule information of the service person. This imposes a heavy management burden on the management apparatus.
On the other hand, the technique in which call buttons are arranged on image processing apparatuses in order to notify the management apparatus of maintenance requests has the following problem.
When maintenance requests are simultaneously issued from a plurality of image processing apparatuses located in the same location by pressing call buttons, since information on association of the plurality of image processing apparatuses is not obtained, different service persons may be sent to individual image processing apparatuses.
When a plurality of service persons simultaneously visit the location where the image processing apparatuses are installed, there arises a problem in that the burden on an administrator at the location increases.
Therefore, when simultaneously arranging for dispatch of a service person to a plurality of image processing apparatuses in the same location, the management apparatus is required not to send different service persons to the location. Furthermore, the processing of arranging for dispatch of a service person is preferably not complicated.